To Love and to Cherish
by GeneaLady
Summary: Post-series fic set in June of 1873. With the army off the Indians' backs, Cloud Dancing and Dorothy are finally able to begin their life together as husband and wife.


_**Author's Note: HUGE thanks goes out to Linda4HIM59. She incorporated the detail of Sully throwing Michaela over his shoulder in her fic "Michaela's Choice" and I loved the mental image it evoked so much that I had to write my own including this detail. It's amazing that the tiniest little detail could be the inspiration for an entire one-shot.**_

_**She's also the one that lead me to freelang .net, which I used for my Cheyenne words.**_

_**This is my first Cloud Dancing/Dorothy fic. I'm SO glad they found each other after Snow Bird died. There's a Missing Enthusiasm Enthusiasts group for Michaela and Sully, but I wish there was one for Cloud Dancing and Dorothy as well.**_

_**This fic was written as an entry for the word challenge on the Facebook group "FanFiction .net Writers Unite!". (I had to put an extra space so it didn't get deleted.) The word for this week was "echoes".**_

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The warm summer sun beat down on the new "reservation" land that Daniel Simon had purchased just over a year before as the echoes of the loud beating of drums, dancing, and laughter could be heard for miles.

Cloud Dancing and Dorothy had been married in the town church by the Reverend earlier that morning in a small ceremony with only Loren, Daniel, Grace and Robert E., and the Sully/Cooper/Cook family in attendance and had just said their vows a second time in a ceremony of Cloud Dancing's people in the presence of the small group of townspeople and the Indians that had returned since the army had left. Cloud Dancing had worn a traditional wedding shirt, made by Dorothy, and buckskin pants in the Christian ceremony while Dorothy opted for a more traditional white wedding dress and then changed into a white deer skin dress for the Cheyenne ceremony.

After the ceremony, the group gathered for a meal to symbolize the unity, of not only the couple, but the entire group as a supportive family for the new bride and groom. During the meal, Cloud Dancing and Dorothy sat nearly touching, exchanging secret glances and smiles.

Once everyone had eaten and the festivities began, Dorothy pulled Michaela aside, "Michaela, I can't tell you how much it means that you helped me get ready today, and helped me with Cloud Dancin's wedding shirt."

Michaela smiled, "No need to thank me, Dorothy. That's what best friends are for. I remember how Snow Bird helped me prepare..."

Dorothy's face fell suddenly.

Unfortunately, Michaela had realized what she said just a few moments too late. "Oh Dorothy! I'm so sorry! I wasn't thinking...," she trailed off.

Dorothy just shook her head, "It's ok. I know Cloud Dancing will always love and miss her, but I also know he loves me very much."

Michaela breathed a sigh of relief. "That he does," she said knowingly. "I think he started having feelings for you when he brought you blue stem when you had that infection. He was very worried about you and rarely left your side."

Dorothy blushed in embarrassment that he'd seen her in such a condition. "Well, he's already seen me at my worst, so that must mean our marriage can only go up from there, right?" she raised an eyebrow and smirked.

The two women burst into laughter before Michaela grew serious again, "So... are you ready for tonight?"

Dorothy's face crimsoned again. "I am," she said, trying in vain not to smile widely. "I'm sure I'll be a bit nervous when it comes time to take my padding off, but I know that Cloud Dancing will love me no matter what. This marriage is going to be so different from the way things were with Marcus... Cloud Dancin' is so different..."

Just as Dorothy finished her thought, she felt a pair of very familiar strong arms wrap around her waist as he spun her around and swiftly, but carefully as he was mindful of her attire, threw her over his shoulder.

Dorothy squealed in delight as she wrapped her arms securely around Cloud Dancing's waist from behind as he ran toward his horse. This also afforded her a very close up view of her husband's back side, his muscles flexing under the soft buckskin material as he ran, which she thoroughly enjoyed. When he reached the animal, he set Dorothy up on him before settling himself in back of her. Once he had the two of them situated, Cloud Dancing noticed Dorothy slump against his chest with her eyes closed. "Dorothy, are you alright?" he asked his new bride worriedly.

Dorothy nodded. "Just a bit dizzy from being carried upside down by my husband," she laughed softly.

Cloud Dancing returned her laugh. "Close your eyes and rest. We will be at our tepee shortly. I have got you," he whispered in her ear as he wrapped one arm tightly around her waist and stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers.

Dorothy trembled at his touch and at his use of the word "our". "That you do..." she thought to herself as Cloud Dancing nudged the horse into a gallop.

Before long, the pair arrived at the far edge of the land where they'd set up their tepee, a location chosen so they'd have the most privacy. "Feeling better?" he asked before dismounting his horse.

"Yes," she replied softly.

Once Cloud Dancing had gotten down from the horse, he reached for Dorothy. Setting her down, he whispered in her ear, "Do not worry, I will not turn you upside down again," before swooping her into his arms and carrying her bridal style through the already open flap of their tepee.

Once they were both inside, Dorothy looked around and sighed. She truly felt at home here. Dorothy and Cloud Dancing had done much talking about where they would live after they got married before coming up with a compromise that made both happy. They decided to stay on Daniel's land and their home would be a tepee large enough for Dorothy to have a writer's desk and several lanterns set up for light on nights when it was too warm to make a fire. For their bed, they hadty decided on a mattress, as Dorothy was accustomed to, set on the floor and pillows with furs and skins for the bedding. The teepee faced east with the bed horizontal to the door flap on the other side. This way, they could open the flap of their teepee and watch the morning sunrise from the comfort of their bed... and each other's arms.

Cloud Dancing slowly walked toward Dorothy and when they were toe to toe, she spoke softly, "I can't believe we're finally married. I didn't think this day would ever come."

Seeing a lone tear slide down her cheek, he wiped it tenderly with his thumb before speaking, "It was not safe before now, for either of us. I wanted you to be my wife, but your safety is most important."

"Oh, Cloud Dancin'," she said, touched at his words.

Leaning in, Cloud Dancing brought his lips to Dorothy's and kissed her softly.

Cloud Dancing's kiss sent Dorothy's head realing. They had shared many kisses, increasing in passion, since their first, but the feeling they gave her was always the same.

"You are so beautiful with your hair down," he whispered when the kiss broke, lifting his hands to tangle in her long, red tresses.

Dorothy smiled, "I feel so free with it down. Just as you make me feel free. I think I'll leave it down when we're at home and only put it up when I go into town."

Cloud Dancing smiled, happy that she was so comfortable out here with him.

Suddenly, Michaela's mention of Snow Bird came to mind and her expresion became solemn, which was not lost to Cloud Dancing. "What is bothering you?" he asked.

"I..." she paused, not knowing how to broach the subject, "I was just thinking of Snowbird..."

Cloud Dancing immediately stepped closer to his wife so that their bodies were nearly touching. He cupped her cheek in his hand to force her to look into his eyes before he spoke, "Dorothy, I love you. I want to spend my life with you. Snow Bird will always be in my heart, but you _are_ my heart."

As he emphasized the word "are", another ear trailed down her cheek. This time Cloud Dancing kissed it away.

"Né-méhotatséme my e'hame," Dorothy whispered, looking into her husband's eyes nervously. Speaking in Cheyenne was yet another thing Michaela had helped Dorothy with in prepraration for her marriage, but she was unsure she'd said it correctly. She'd practiced over and over and had it perfect just yesterday, but being in this moment with the man she loved more than anyone, who was now her husband, made her mind go completely blank. She wasn't even sure of her own name at this point, all she knew was that she was his.

Thankfully, the huge grin on Cloud Dancing's face told her that she'd done well and that he appreciated the sentiment. "Né-méhotatséme my htse'eme", he whispered in return before claiming her lips in an intensely passionate kiss.

As their lips fused, Dorothy brought her arms around his neck and wound her fingers in his long black hair. At the feeling of her hands in his hair, Cloud Dancing wrapped his arms tightly around Dorothy's waist and brought her body flush against his. It was then that Dorothy could feel the physical desire that he had for her that grew under his leggings. Dorothy couldn't help but let out a small moan.

Hearing her moan, Cloud Dancing reluctantly broke the kiss so he could speak. Seeing confusion and disappointment in Dorothy's eyes, he asked her, "Do you know what Cheyenne men ask a man who has just taken a wife?"

Dorothy shook her head, playing along and not wanting to ruin the moment and confessed that Michaela had educated her on this aspect of Cheyenne culture as well.

"Does she show enthusiasm?" Cloud Dancing supplied before leaning in and whispering in her ear, "I appreciate your enthusiasm."

In spite of anticipating Cloud Dancings words, Dorothy's cheeks flushed red with a mixture of embarrassment and passion before Cloud Dancing claimed her lips in a slow, delicous kiss. When it broke, she poked Cloud Dancing in the chest and playfully bantered, "If someone asks you that, you better not give 'em an answer!"

This caused the pair to roar with laughter as they hugged tightly. Knowing his wife was a very private person, he assured her, "Do not worry, your secret is safe with me."

Cloud Dancing pressed himself against her again and and resumed their kiss. Soon his tongue requested enterance into Dorothy's mouth, which she immediately allowed. As their tongues danced, Dorothy moved her hands down Cloud Dancing's chest and stomach over his wedding shirt until she reached the bottom of the shirt. Pausing for only a moment, she slowly began to raise it up. She would have never dreamed of initiating anything intimate with Marcus, but she desperately wanted to thank Cloud Dancing with her enthusiasm for loving her in a way that Marcus never had, and they hadn't even made love yet... she could only imagine how different that experience would be. Thankfully; however, she wouldn't need to wait long.

Once Dorothy had lifted Cloud Dancing's wedding shirt over his head and gently laid it on the floor, she nearly gasped at the sight of his bare chest. She'd seen him shirtless before, but knowing that she was now free to kiss and caress every inch of his skin sent shivers over her own.

Slowly, she begain to trace every scar and wound on his tan skin with her fingers as if to erase the memories of their infliction with her touch. She finished her trail on his left arm, the last wounds she touched being three horizontal lines created by a knife. As she caressed the scared skin with her fingers, Dorothy looked up at Cloud Dancing and knew by the look in his eyes that these were the wounds he'd inflicted upon himself in the Cheyenne mourning tradition after the Washita massacre that took the lives of Snow Bird and the lives of all of his family and friends. At this realization, Dorothy bent her head and placed soft kisses on the scarred tissue of the wounds.

In awe of her loving ministrations, Cloud Dancing gently lifted her head up and kissed her with all the love that he felt for her. Melting into his kiss, Dorothy raised one hand to his shoulder and the other to his long, black mane. Completely wrapped up in his kiss, Dorothy didn't notice Cloud Danicng reach down to lift the deer skin dress over her head, so when she felt the soft material move against her bare legs, she stiffened.

At feeling her stiffen, Cloud Dancing immediately dropped the hem of the dress and broke the kiss. "Dorothy," he spoke softly, "Do not worry. I will not hurt you as your first husband did."

Dorothy's heart broke at the thought that her reaction made her husband think that she feared him. She immediately brought her hand up to Cloud Dancing's cheek and stroked it, "Oh, Cloud Dancin', I know that you'd never hurt me. You're the kindest man I know. It's just that..." she paused, but seeing that Cloud Dancing was waiting patiently for her to continue, she did. "A few years ago, Michaela found a lump on my... breast... My entire breast had to be removed. I'm not... whole anymore..."

Noticing that Dorothy had broken eye contact with him, he gently brought her face up in both of his hands so that they were eye to eye again. "Dorothy," he spoke sofly. "Your body is not what makes you whole. It is your heart. I do not love you for your body, but your body is beautiful to me. Nothing will ever change that. Please let me show you how I love you."

Noticing her small nod, Cloud Dancing slowly lifted the white deer skin dress from Dorothy's body. He smiled when he noticed that the only thing covering her body under the garment was the padding where here breast had been.

"You are beautiful," he spoke in a voice thick with emotion, his words sending a shiver through her body.

Slowly he raised his hands to the padding and began gently removing the tape that held it in place, careful not to pull the skin with it. As the padding moved away from her body, Dorothy closed her eyes, afraid to see the look in Cloud Dancing's. However, if she had looked, she would have seen nothing but love and devotion in them.

Seeing that her eyes remained closed, he whispered, "Ánováóó'o," in his native language before sealing his declaration in a soft kiss.

Feeling his lips on hers, Dorothy finally relaxed into Cloud Dancing's embrace and began running her hands over the strong muscles of his shoulders and back. As his tongue requested entrance, which she quickly granted, her hands traveled down his chest, causing him to gasp slightly when her fingers caressed his nipples. Soon, her hands continued their path and arrived at the front of his buckskins. Dorothy broke the kiss to look into Cloud Dancing's eyes. Seeing nothing but love and assurance in them, she continued and undid the tie that held them together. It only took a slight tug and they soon pooled on the floor. Dorothy promised herself that she wouldn't look, but the motion of him toeing off his moccasins and kicking his pants completely off caught her eye and she found herself blushing at the state of her husband's arousal.

Noticing the direction of Dorothy's eyes, Cloud Dancing couldn't help but be proud at the fact that he visually pleased his wife just as she visually pleased him.

Suddenly, Dorothy felt herself be lifted in the air as Cloud Dancing lifted her into his arms and carried her to their bed. As he layed her down, she shivered as she felt the soft deer skin that was used as a sheet on her back. Once she was settled, Cloud Dancing moved back and took one of her feet in his hands to slip her moccasin off of her foot. He massaged her foot briefly before moving to the other foot.

Both of them now completely naked, Cloud Dancing moved up to be eye to eye with Dorothy. He paused for a moment so they could stare into each other's eyes before he claimed her lips in a passionate kiss, his tongue immediately seeking enterance. When their tongues touched, Dorothy sighed and moved her hands up and down his back, enjoying the feeling of his warm skin and tight muscles.

Soon Cloud Dancing moved his kisses to her cheek, behind her ear, and down her neck. As the trail of his kisses continued south, Dorothy's heart began to race, but not from feeelings of passion. Her nervousness returned with a vengeance as he drew closer to her chest. It was quickly abated; however, when Cloud Dancing first went to the flat side of her chest, showering it with soft kisses and caresses. Tears of love and gratitude rolled down her cheeks as he began nuzzling the flat surface with his cheek. How different Cloud Dancing was from Marcus! Marcus would have likely killed her if the tumor had been found while they were still married, but Cloud Dacing seemed to love her more for her physical imperfections.

When Cloud Dancing was satisfied that his wife was assure of his love of her body, he moved over to her breast, letting her soft, pale flesh fill his strong, calloused hand. Sparks of passion shot through Dorothy as he ran his thumb over her stiffened nipple and she hummed softly. Lifting it gently to his mouth, his tongue descended onto her stiffened nipple and Dorothy arched her back toward him, her body silently begging for his attention. Relieved that this was something that she was enjoying, Cloud Dancing begain to suck on the frim pebble which just made her gasp more. As he paid homage to her breast with his mouth, Dorothy's hands tangled in his long hair to encourage him further.

Eventually, Cloud Dancing left Dorothy's breast and began trailing kisses down her stomach. When he got to her navel, he paused to swirl his tongue inside the cavity which elicited a giggle from her that warmed his heart.

His kisses then moved down toward the red curls that covered her center. Feeling his hot breath on her center made Dorothy's mouth go dry and her heart race. Without thinking she bent her knees up, opening herself to him. As she felt his tongue enter her, Dorothy thought she just might die of pleasure. She could see stars behind her eyes as she clamped them shut. Suddenly she felt her body start to shake from the inside out as she experienced her very first orgasm in spite of having been married before. "Mmm... ohhh... yesss!" she panted over and over as Cloud Dancing continued to drink her in.

Once he had drank her up, Cloud Dancing moved to lay down beside Dorothy and pulled her close. "Oh, Cloud Dancing," she said tearfully, "That was my..." she trailed off, suddenly embarassed to not only admit that she had experienced an orgasm, but that it had been her first, in spite of being married to Marcus for many years.

Immediately understanding what she was saying, Cloud Dancing kissed Dorothy on the forehead sweetly. "Cheyenne husbands take great pride in pleasuring their wives. If a Cheyenne brave can not make his wife happy in their marital bed, then he is not considered a true man," he explained. "I only wish that it was this way in the white man's world," he said, understanding Dorothy's past."

Again, touched beyond comprehension at his words, Dorothy pressed her body against Cloud Dancing's and kissed him passionately. Soon the flames of passion were renewed and he rolled her on her back and hovered over her, bearing his weight on his forearms. Staring into his eyes, Dorothy confidently, but quietly whispered, "Cloud Dancin', please make me yours..."

At her request, Cloud Dancing reached down between their bodies and slowly joined them, making every effort to insure that the experience was nothing but pleasure for his worthy bride.

Dorothy gasped as her body adjusted to the feeling of Cloud Dancing inside her for the first time. When he was in her completely, she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist. When Cloud Dancing was sure she was ready, he set up a steady, but slow rhythm. As he began to thrust, Dorothy met them with thrusts of her own to encourage him to pick up pace. Soon they were racing toward oblivion, their eyes never leaving the other, each panting heavily. Simultaneously, each felt their bodies tense. Cloud Dancing knew that he was on the brink of release, but he wanted to bring his wife to completion first so he forced his body to clamp down while his thrusts increased in speed. Before long, Dorothy was again gasping and writhing under him, and with one long moan her dam broke. Cloud Dancing dropped his head down to the mattress next to Dorothy and kissed her neck before emitting a passion filled groan and spilled himself into her. As Cloud Dancing slumped onto Dorothy's body, the warmth of him spilling into her sent her body into overdrive and she orgasmed yet again.

Gathering enough strength to move, Cloud Dancing rolled them both on their side, rubbing Dorothy's back softly as her spasms slowed. "Enthusiastic indeed," he chuckled happily when she grew quiet.

Dorothy blushed furiously, "Oh, Cloud Dancin', that was wonderful. I've never experienced anything like that before."

Cloud Dancing just kissed her forehead.

Eventually, Cloud Dancing could no longer keep their connection so he rolled on his back, settling Dorothy next to him, her head on his chest. The couple spent a few more moments whispering words of love to each other before drifting off into a blistful sleep, Dorothy feeling completely safe and loved for the first time in her life.


End file.
